PHILADELPHIA (AP) 鈥� Joel Embiid could go back to school and write a pretty heady report on how he spent his summer vacation.
Embiid won for Team USA. He signed a with the Philadelphia 76ers that will pay him more than $64 million in its final season. Embiid spoke during the U.N. General Assembly week about African innovation. Already parents to a young son, Embiid and his wife are .
Oh, and his lobbying efforts for the Sixers to paid off with perhaps the most significant acquisition in Embiid鈥檚 10 seasons with the franchise.
Not a bad offseason.
For his final move before training camp opens next week, Embiid celebrated one major watershed more personal in nature.
The seven-time All-Star hosted the 鈥淚n Memory of Arthur鈥� block party to honor the life of his late brother in a Friday night event for Philadelphia Youth Basketball.
Embiid鈥檚 younger brother, Arthur Embiid, died in a car accident in 2014 at age 13. Embiid, born in Yaound茅, Cameroon, later named his son Arthur in his brother鈥檚 memory. At the Sixth Man Center, the 76ers and PYB unveiled a that overlooked the 鈥淚n Memory of Arthur鈥� Court, which was dedicated to Embiid and his family when the complex opened earlier this year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 still tough, thinking about the whole thing,鈥� Embiid said of his brother. 鈥淗e鈥檚 also one of the reasons why I鈥檓 doing this. He was someone that cared about everybody. It鈥檚 funny, all the stories that I heard, because I hadn鈥檛 been around since I left Cameroon. Going back after his death, all the stories that I heard. Just someone I cared about, that was always giving back.鈥�
Embiid and his son shot hoops at bounce houses and on the court at a Friday night event attended by George, All-Star Tyrese Maxey, other Sixers teammates and team president Daryl Morey.
鈥淗e鈥檚 somebody who took me in from Day 1,鈥� Maxey said. 鈥淛oel, he was the first person who believed in me. He believes in all of y鈥檃ll. He believes in all of Philly. We just really have to appreciate him. We just have to really cherish him.鈥�
Maxey then asked nearly 200 kids 鈥� most of them in Embiid gear 鈥� to stand and give the 7-footer a standing ovation.
Embiid, who signed a $193 million extension with a player option for the 2028-29 season, appreciated the gesture.
鈥淕rowing up, having been around a struggle, that鈥檚 always been a goal of mine, to have some sort of impact,鈥� Embiid said.
Embiid has donated millions over his career to Philly community efforts. Among his charitable endeavors, he has donated All-Star Game winnings to area homeless shelters, partnered with a grocery chain to help families with rent or mortgage relief and pledged with Sixers ownership in 2020 a combined $1.3 million to Penn Medicine for COVID-19 antibody testing of frontline health care workers.
Embiid put his family name on the party that treated area kids to a variety of basketball and soccer clinics, block-party games, food and entertainment. Local nonprofit Philadelphia Youth Basketball opened its $36 million dollar Alan Horwitz 鈥淪ixth Man鈥� Center this summer, with a $5 million assist from the longtime prominent season ticket holder.
Hopped up on soft pretzels, kids screamed for George and Maxey as they took the court.
Embiid might have been George鈥檚 biggest backer. The Sixers enticed George to leave the Los Angeles Clippers and sign a four-year, $212 million contract. George joins a Philly team that has been a perennial underachiever, even as Embiid blossomed into one of the top players in the NBA. Philadelphia has not won an NBA title since 1983 or even advanced out of the second round of the playoffs since 2001.
鈥淧G, great. I spent a lot of time recruiting Paul and I鈥檓 happy that he鈥檚 here,鈥� Embiid said.
Embiid played a key role in helping the U.S. team win gold in the Paris Olympics. He later spoke during U.N. General Assembly week at Prince William鈥檚 Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in New York.
鈥淚t was all about Africa,鈥� Embiid said. 鈥淚鈥檓 one of the guys that has been successful and that is hope. There鈥檚 a lot of us. I feel like using that opportunity to go makes sense. We don鈥檛 have a lot of opportunities. There鈥檚 a lot of me.鈥�
Even without a championship, there鈥檚 a lot of Philly that likes Embiid.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no way, starting at 16, that I was supposed to be here,鈥� Embiid said. 鈥淎s long as you put the work in, and I guess, trust the process, it鈥檚 going to end up paying off.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
